Of chicago



FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM Filed July 19. 1922 Z5 [nous/1101 Patented Aug. 14, 1923.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICEQ.i

JOHN F. OCONNOB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISQASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM H.- MINER, OF

' V I i CHAZY, YORK.

FRICTION SHOCK-ABSORBIIFIG MECHANISM.

Application filed July 19,

To all. whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN F. OCoNNoR,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful. Improvement in Friction Shock- Absorbing h/Iechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in frictionshock absorbing mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to provide a. high capacity friction shock absorbing mechanism especially designed for railway draft rigging and wherein also is insured easy and certain release.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the character indicated having a wedging system wherein relatively blunt angled wedging faces may be used to insure the release and wherein also the elements of the wedging system are so associated and operated that the effective expansive action of the wedge system with relation to the shell is increased by friction generated within the wedge system itself.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims appearing hereinafter. I

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal, longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a railway draft rigging, parts being broken away in order to prevent crowding. Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section of the shock absorbing mechanism proper and corresponding to the line 2-2 of F igure 1. And Figure 3 is a detail perspective of one of the elements of the wedging system employed in the mechanism shown in Figure In said drawing, 10-10 denote the usual channel draft sills of a railway ear provided on'the inner faces thereof with front stop lugs 11 and rear stop lugs 12. The shock absorbing mechanism proper is operatively associated with adrawbar by means of a hooded cast yoke 13, the shock absorbing mechanism being placed within the yoke as is also a front main followcrla, The yoke and associated movable parts are held in op- 1922. Serial-No. 575,961.

rear end with an integral follower 18, the

latter being laterally extended to cooperate with the stops .2 and suitably reinforced by ribs and webs. The shell proper is formed on theinterior thereof with opposed friction surfaces 1919 which are converged inwardly of the shell, as clearly shown in Figure 1.

Each of the friction shoes is formed on the outer side thereof with a longitudinally extending flat-friction surface 20 cooperable with the corresponding adjacent friction surface 19, and on its inner sideis formed with a rearwardly and inwardly extending wedge face 21 and also with. a rearwardly and outwardly extending wedge face 22.

The outer wedge D is formed on its outer end with a flat bearing surface 23 engaged by the front follower i l and inwardly thereof is provided with a pair of inwardly converging wedge faces 121121 cooperable with the wedge faces 21 of the shoes C. The

wedge member D is also provided with an inwardly extended thick web or flange .24; centrally disposed and provided with opposite friction surfaces 25-25 extending parallel to the aXisof the gear.

Each of the wedges E is formed at its rear or inner end with a flat bearing surface 26 engaging the adjacent end of the spring B,Wll3l1 a wedge face 122 cooperable with the corresponding adjacent wedge. face 22 of a shoe C, and on its inner side with a longitudinally extending flat friction surface 125 cooperable with the corresponding adjacent friction surface 25 of the outer wedge member D,

The wedge member l) is suitably cored to accommodate the shank of the retainer bolt F which is anchored at one end to the wedge D and at its other end within a suitable cup friction surfaces 19.

wherein each element has wedge iacedfeiv gagement with at least one other elemcntof the system. As the entirewedge system is forced inwardly relatively to the friction shell proper 16, the shoes (-lwillhc forced to advance at asomewhat faster rate than the wedge'D,idueItothe taper of thc shell A differential action is th'us produced,a s will he understood by those skilled in the art. As the shoes G are advancedinwardly of the shell relatively to the Wedge D, the wedge members Ewill be correspondingly inwardly advanced relatively to the wedge'l), thus generating friction between tlie'wedge elements E and the wedge D on the friction surfaces 25 and 1:25.

thisarrangement, I am enabled to employ"relatively blunt angles on the "wedge faces 21,121; and 22, 122, thereby pron'ioting easy relca'ser At/the same time, due to the frictiongenerated because of the rclative movement between the wedge D and wedges'Efthe effective'expansive or radial pressure'action of the wedging system is inaterially augmented, thus increasing the effective frictional capacity of the mechanism, asicompared with other prior types of somewhat similar friction mechanisms having inner and outer oppositely disposed wedges cooperablc with laterally 'lilispiised friction shoes.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred n'ninncr of carrying out the invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I conten'iplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1.In afriction shock absorbing niechanism, the combination with a n'ction shell; of a spring resistance; and a friction-generating Wedge system cooperable with the shell and movable, relatively thereto, said system comprising a plurality of elements, certain of said, elements coop'cratii1gdire tly with. the shell and provided with inner Wedge faces. and some of said elements sliding on. each other to create friction additional to that generated by the wedge action proper, and provided with wedge faces directly co a'cting with the wedge faces of said elements cooperating with the shell.

2. Ina friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a friction shell; of a spring resistance; and a.frictioirgcnerating Wedge system cooperable with the shell and movable relatively thereto said system comprising, a-plurality of elements each having awedge face co'operable with a of said elements.

Iii'a friction shoclcabsorhing mecha- "nism, the combination with a friction shell havinginwardly converging friction sur* faces on the interior thereof; of a spring resistance; a friction generating Wedge system cooper-able with the shell and movable relatively thereto, said system comprising, a wedge pressure transmitting means, a plurality. of Wedge elements. having friction surfaces co-operating directly with saidginwardly' converging friction surfaces of the shell, and a plurality of wedge elements cooperable directly with said firstnamed'elements and sliding on each otherto create f fctioiradditional to that created by wedge action proper.

a. In a-friction shock absorbingmechanir a, the combination with a friction-shellhavi'ng inwardly converging friction surfaces on the interior thereof; of a spring resistance; and at friction-generating wedge .sy'stcin coopcrahle with the shell and-mow able relatively thereto, said-system comprising, a plurality of 'olements, reach havingni wedge face cooperable with the wedge face of anotherclement, a pluralityof said ble inents having also cooper-able additional :triChen-generating surfaces.

Ina friction shock 'absorbin mech'anism, the combination with a friction shell;

of a spring'resistance; anda friction-generatingrwedge syste ncooperable with the shell and movable relatively thereto, said-system comprising,"inner and outer oppositely dis"- posed wedges having frictional engagement with each other, and friction shoescooperable with the shell andrhaving wedge faced engagement with said inner and outer wedges.

6. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a" friction shell having inwardly converging friction snr faces on the interior thereof; of a springresistance; and a frictiomgcncrati11gwedge system cooperablc with the shell and *movable relatively thereto. said systenrcomprising. inner and. outer oppositely disposed wedges having frictional engagement with each other. and friction shoes 'cooperable with said inwardly converged friction surfaces of the shell, each shoe having-wedge faced engagementwith said inner arid outer wedges. v 1

TJIn a. friction shock absorbing mechan ism, the combinat ion with a 1 fri ctionjshell having in "ardly converged friction surfaces; of opposed friction shoes slidable on said shell friction surfaces, each shoe hav outer wedge having wedge faces cooperable with the wedge faces of the shoes, at the outer ends of the latter, said wedge having also an inwardly extended web; a pair of inner Wedges, each having a wedge face en gageable with a Wedge face of a shoe and a friction surface engageable with one side of said web; and a spring resistance engaging said inner wedges at one of its ends 10 and adapted to yieldingly resist relative and wedges.

movement between said shell and said shoes JOHN F. OGONNOR.

\Vitnesses:

UNA C. GRIesBY,

ANN BAKER. 

